Hater_X wrote:InFlames wrote:OrlandO wrote:Brook Lopez tonight = 28pts, 3 rebs. He's 7 feet! Dude has way too many games where he scores 25+ and only grabs 1-3 rebounds...
I don't understand why this guy sucks at rebounding.
Doesn't put into effort. Rebounding is all about (what my coach back in highschool used to say) having the "Want-to" to do it. No reason why a 7ftr can't average at least 8 rebs per game
Now in is third season - and first under Avery Johnson - he's become more of a perimeter player, unafraid to hang by the 3-point line and launch 18-footers.
The tactic has its merits, specifically in the last five weeks, during which Lopez is averaging 22.7 points per game. But he's fallen under heavy criticism for his paltry rebounding average (5.7 per game). It's a big reason why Lopez was overlooked for this week's All-Star Game, despite currently averaging three more points per game than Eastern Conference reserve center Al Horford of Atlanta.
Johnson has blamed it on Lopez's lack of pursuit for the loose ball. Fields, for one, believes his former teammate can recapture the aggression.
Lopez showed it in Friday's victory over the Bobcats with 31 points and 11 rebounds (his second double-double of the season), but grabbed just four boards in Saturday's loss to the Knicks.
With games upcoming against dominating post teams - the Spurs (Monday night) and the Celtics (Wednesday) - the Nets will need big efforts from Lopez to avoid going into the All-Star break 23 games below .500.
"He's definitely capable (of becoming a dominating post player)," Fields said. "In college, wow, I mean it's not comparable to now, but he was doing all that stuff."
That was written last February and holds true today.
